


Smile

by wth_am_i_writing



Category: VIXX
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Closeted Character, Gen, Rejection, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-14
Packaged: 2019-09-15 18:49:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16938723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wth_am_i_writing/pseuds/wth_am_i_writing
Summary: N had a smile for every occasion.





	Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on January 21, 2014.
> 
> Original Author’s Note: Hmmm… inspired by that recent interview where Ravi and Hongbin made fun of N and Leo’s dynamics. This turned out a little different than I intended, so as a result I feel like it’s a bit sloppy but… hmmm… I feel like it’s almost too vague but not at the same time? I was stressed today and needed to write it out. So sloppy angst for my readers!

N had a smile for every occasion. Happy, contented, embarrassed, frustrated, polite indignation, angry, and sad. It wasn’t unusual to be on the receiving end of such smiles, and the members were all used to it by now. But there was something about the smile on N’s lips that didn’t sit well with any of the members. It wasn’t angry, nor was it quite his usual sad smile.

Ravi, Hongbin and Ken all shifted when N entered the room, attempting to look busy enough to avoid his attention. Hyuk actually was busy, homework spread across the floor.  N knew how important Hyuk’s studies were to him, so he hoped the leader would leave him alone and bug Leo instead. Leo sat quietly in the corner, headphones plugging his ears as he scrolled through twitter—a perfect target for N.

N looked around the room, eyes momentarily resting on Leo before he diverted his full attention to Hyuk. Hyuk tensed, preparing for a vicious, smothering hug that never came. Instead, N squatted down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder for support as he peered over his shoulder at his homework. Hyuk knitted his brows in confusion.

“Oooooo. Is this for your acting class?” N cooed, reaching out to pick up one of the stapled piles of paper. He removed his hand from Hyuk’s shoulder to flip through it.

“Yeah… our final is a practical performance so I’m studying hard…” Hyuk explained.

“Ooo!” N cooed in that high-pitched tone that only he could reach. “Our little Hyukkie. If you ever need help going over your lines, don’t forget to ask your hyung.”

“Yeah, I’ll be sure to ask Hongbin-hyung if I need anything,” Hyuk said, purposely rubbing N’s nerves. N put the script down and shook Hyuk’s shoulder.

“Don’t forget about this hyung,” N pouted. Hyuk put on an over exaggerated surprised expression and turned to face N.

“ _You can act?_ I didn’t know at all!” Hyuk exclaimed only to get hit by N. His eyes had narrowed and his smile had turned into his annoyed one. The shift eased Hyuk’s heart some. The strange smile had disappeared.

“I think you’re forgetting things, Hyukkie. You should drink two doses of red ginseng tonight before bed so your memory will get better,” N scolded. Hyuk cried out in protest.  N only hit him on the back and stood up. “No excuses. Make sure you drink it.”

Hyuk sighed, turning back to his papers. He watched N out of the corner of his eyes as he walked over to Leo and poked him on the head to get his attention. Leo looked up at N, not bothering to remove his headphones. N reached down to pull one out then said, loud enough for Hyuk to hear, “Give Hyuk your portion of red ginseng tonight.”

“Why?” Leo asked, his brows knitting together in confusion.

“His memory is poor. Hold him down and force him to drink it if you have to,” N directed, his eyes slits and grin practically reaching ear to ear. The expression sent a chill down Hyuk’s spine. N was scary when he was angry. When he’d teased him, Hyuk hadn’t expected that his comment would evoke such wrath. Maybe he should have known better than to provoke N when he was acting so strange. Before Leo could respond, N put the headphone back in his ear and stood. Leo quickly removed it again, staring up at N still in utter confusion.

“I’m going to bed early,” N announced, face falling neutral and voice tightly concealing his emotions. He glanced around the room one last time, eyes lingering for a moment on Leo before turning to exit the room. Once the eldest disappeared into the bedroom, Leo sighed, rolled his eyes and put his headphone back in.

“That was terrifying,” Ravi mumbled after a few moments. Hongbin released a deep breath, seeming to relax now that the threat of N was gone.

“When did he start smiling like that?” Ken asked, keeping his voice quiet so N couldn’t hear them through the door. Hyuk turned his full attention to his hyungs, feeling that this discussion was much more important than his studies. This was his career they were discussing.

“I think it was a couple nights ago,” Ravi murmured, gaze turning to Leo. Leo was completely absorbed in his ipod and music again, not caring about the conversation.

“You mean when _that_ interview aired?” Ken asked.

“Yeah. After he saw it, he scolded me about saying those things on TV and walked away,” Ravi explained. Hyuk looked between his hyungs confused before it clicked just what Ravi was talking about. It was _that_ interview—the one N had left in the middle of and the members talked about the dynamics between N and Leo. Hyuk’s eyes immediately snapped towards Leo, widening as his memories clicked.

“He didn’t stay to watch the end?” Hongbin asked, pursing his lips together. Ravi shook his head, a knowing expression on his face.

“I think I might have gone a little far in explaining it,” Ravi said.

“I don’t think the fans will take it badly,” Ken said, shifting in his spot on the floor and placing his ipod on the ground beside him. “They’ll probably just think it’s cute. Like an old-married-couple-like friendship.”

“Not everyone, but…” Hongbin corrected, eyes squinting in disgust.

“Well, it’s not like I was lying, but he _was_ rejected on TV,” Ravi sighed. Hyuk’s eyes widened as he computed Ravi’s words. He slowly turned his head towards Ravi and Hongbin, terrified to know if he was interpreting the words correctly. Upon noticing Hyuk’s shock, Ravi, Hongbin and Ken exchanged looks.

“You didn’t know?” Hongbin asked, shocked that Hyuk was in the dark.

“ _He—I—_ “ Hyuk stuttered before turning away to process the information. That certainly came from left field.  There was a collective sigh from his hyungs. Everything from that night a few days ago was clicking and he felt his stomach drop.

“I—that night… When we were back in the dorms, I wanted to ask him about what kinds of things he thought would be good to prepare for the Japanese fans. Leo’d just gone to shower and he was in the bedroom alone… The first time I saw that weird smile was when he looked up and called my name,” Hyuk explained. Hongbin sighed.

Hyuk was overcome with curiosity. He had to confirm his suspicions. He abandoned his notes and scrambled across the room to Leo. Throwing away his fears of getting hit, he tugged Leo’s headphone out of his ear. Hyuk’s eyes widened when he realized there was no music playing. He brought his gaze up to meet Leo’s piercing stare. Sucking in a deep breath, he steeled his nerve.

“Hyung, what did you talk to N-hyung about the night of the broadcast?” Hyuk asked.

“The broadcast,” Leo said, voice quiet but firm.

“And?”

“I told him those were my real feelings,” Leo elaborated. Hyuk sunk back, still in utter shock at everything.

“I can’t believe this,” he breathed out.

“He’s strong. He’ll be fine if we just wait. The only relationship we can have is life long friends,” Leo explained, turning his gaze to look somewhere on the floor as he put his headphone back in. “I won’t make you drink ginseng tonight, so forget it all,” Leo mumbled before turning his music back on.

Hyuk turned back to his other hyungs, hoping they had some kind of answer for what to do. Ravi just shook his head and Ken stood up.

“I’m going to get ready for bed,” Ken announced.

Hyuk blinked, almost appalled at how his hyungs were brushing off this revelation. But as he thought about it, he realized that there wasn’t anything they could do. What he learned about N was hard to believe, but he had to accept and turn a blind eye. He knew for sure now that N truly had a smile for every occasion, perfectly sealing up any unwanted emotions. That strange new smile was going to haunt him every time he saw it.


End file.
